When it comes to incorporating videos into your search engine optimization strategy, you must decide where you will host your video content. Hosting your content means using a platform as the primary source of your content. For video content, the most effective place to host your content is on YouTube.
Beginning your video SEO strategy on YouTube allows you to diversify both the type of content you are creating and also where your content is on the web. This leads to more engagement and higher conversion rates. Here are a few reasons why YouTube is the best choice as a host for your business’s video content:
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YouTube Goes Hand in Hand With Another SEO Giant: Google
In case you are not aware, Google is the parent company of YouTube. What does this mean in the grand scheme of the internet? It means that many users utilize the same Google accounts when searching on Google and YouTube. This impacts the search algorithms curated for this user on both platforms. Essentially, if a user stumbles across your website on Google, they will likely stumble across your video content on YouTube as well.
This “stumbling” has a bigger effect than you think it would— becoming a repeated presence for a user gives you more exposure and visibility, making them more likely to interact with your website. Repetition is always helpful, and being visible can increase your conversion rates!
Additionally, the “video” page on Google search is also closely linked with YouTube. With a strong SEO strategy, this gives you the unique opportunity for your website to rank high on a general search and your YouTube content to rank high on a video search. When you compare this opportunity to other video hosting platforms or even search engines, no other platform or search engine has the same reach and power as the partnership between Google and YouTube.
YouTube Most Definitely Has a Larger Reach Than Your Website and Other Video Platforms
YouTube has an impressive hold on the current social media market with over half of social media users, or two billion people, on YouTube. If your business is new to the SEO world, getting people onto your website and turning those people into customers is imperative. Putting your video content on YouTube automatically expands your reach.
Of course, not all two billion users will watch your video, but you give your content the opportunity to be engaged with a large population. With your content on YouTube, users can watch your videos, explore your site if interested in your services, and then become a customer. This is customer conversion 101.
Due to the sheer user count of YouTube, this platform is much more beneficial for your content than other platforms like DailyMotion or Vimeo, which do not have as many users. It is necessary to acknowledge that due to the number of users and content flying around YouTube, having a video go viral is not an easy task. However, hosting your content on YouTube is low risk with a possible high gain, as the threshold of who it can reach is extremely high.
Not Only is YouTube Popular, YouTube is Free
For a startup business, saving some money never hurts. YouTube has no startup cost, as making an account and publishing content is free. Other platforms, such as Vimeo and Utreon for example, cost money to create accounts and usually involve subscriptions. Even though one can argue that some platforms such as DailyMotion are also free, YouTube is giving you the best bang for your buck, or the most user exposure for no cost. Again, YouTube is low risk and high gain— sound familiar?
Additionally, if your YouTube channel garners immense success, you can generate revenue for your business off of YouTube. If you hit a certain subscriber count or consistently have high views on all of your content, making ad revenue or receiving sponsorships could be in your future. Again, other video platforms may offer this opportunity too, but YouTube surpasses all others in terms of connections, ad exposure, and the likelihood to gain more views.
Conclusion
Overall, YouTube’s reach and connection to Google is paramount when deciding where to host for video content. YouTube is free, accessible, and familiar to internet users, making it the best place to begin posting video content. Adding video content to your SEO strategy can be successful, but make sure you are hosting your content on YouTube.
